Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is the flagship resort at Walt Disney World. It’s a bucket list item. It’s the one you talk about as you pass by it on the monorail, one stop before Magic Kingdom. It’s the hotel everyone wants to hear about. So how does it measure up to its reputation? Read on to find out!
The Basics and Booking Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
The Grand Floridian Resort is a deluxe hotel at Walt Disney World along the Magic Kingdom monorail. Deluxe resorts are Disney’s best hotels. If you’re considering Grand Floridian, you may want to read some of our other posts. We have a ranking of the best Disney World deluxe resorts.
We also have a guide to all the hotels of Walt Disney World. If you’d like to see where this resort falls overall, check out our complete Disney World hotel rankings.
And here are our reviews of all the deluxe resorts (links open in new tabs):
Review of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (you are here)
Grand Floridian is generally regarded as the “fanciest” and flagship resort at Walt Disney World, and it is priced accordingly. Rack rates for standard rooms at Grand Floridian in 2024 range from $816 to $1350 per night.
The $816 starting price compares to $572 at Contemporary and $691 at Polynesian. (Also worth noting—due to the variety of room types, you need to be extra diligent to make sure the Disney World website shows you the lowest prices here.)
Most recently, we booked an Outer Building Garden View room through our choice travel agent, Lauren Quirk of Travel With Character LLC. (This post contains discussion of both that room and views from theme park view rooms, which we previously stayed in.)
We paid $569 per night on an Annual Passholder offer rate. The rack rate for the room was $812 per night, which meant our offer rate was about 30% off.
Between standard offers and maybe discounted prices at Expedia or Priceline, there may be times when rates get down to around $700. Alternatively, you can rent Disney Vacation Club points to stay at Grand Floridian Villas.
Staying at Grand Floridian, you get the perks of any Disney stay. You’ll have access to free transportation to and from the parks and Disney Springs. You’ll also have access to Early Theme Park Entry and the ability to book your individual Lightning Lanes at 7AM (as opposed to when the parks open). Grand Floridian is a deluxe hotel, so guests have access to Extended Evening Hours, granting these guests extra time in select parks on select nights.
Besides being the “fanciest” of the Disney hotels, Grand Floridian guests are paying to be just one monorail stop—or a short boat ride or short walk—away from Magic Kingdom
Arrival and Check-In at Grand Floridian Resort
Disney no longer has complimentary transportation from the airport to your hotel, so you’re left to figure out a plan on your own. We took an Uber.
If you check in online, or you arrive early, and your room isn’t ready, you can leave your bags with bell services and easily get to Magic Kingdom by monorail, boat, or walking path.
If you’re staying Club Level you might want to visit the front desk anyways. A Cast Member will call someone from the club who will then escort you up to the Royal Palm Club—the Main Building Club Level at Grand Floridian or the Sugar Loaf Club, whichever you’ve booked.
Grand Floridian Resort Grounds and Theming
Grand Floridian isn’t as spread out as the moderate resorts, but it is a large resort with plenty of offerings. The main building contains check-in, the (impressive) lobby, the shops, and most of the restaurants.
These are spread across the first and second floors. The only hotel rooms in the main building are Club Level rooms and suites, on the third through fifth floors.
There are five outer buildings containing the rest of the rooms. There is also a convention center (which we won’t be discussing here), a Disney Vacation Club building (The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, which we also won’t be discussing) and a fitness center / spa building. The fitness center is a short hike from the main resort area, but I was able to get in a good couple of runs.
There are two pools amongst the buildings and beach space facing Polynesian. Neither of the pool areas is particularly impressive. The Courtyard Pool is just a large pool with seating around it.
The Beach Pool is smaller but has a little more design and fun to it, including a water slide and great views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
There’s also an accompanying water play area.
You can walk to Polynesian and Transportation and Ticket Center from Grand Floridian along the Seven Seas Lagoon. And at the north end of the property are the docks and Narcoossee’s Restaurant.
Grand Floridian has a walking path to Magic Kingdom. Zoe (3 years old) can make the walk in about 16 minutes, I can make it in about 12.
The path can be a bit hard to find. I recommend going to the quick service restaurant, Gasparilla Grill, which is opposite the below-pictured docks. Facing Gasparilla, the path to Magic Kingdom is to your right (or, facing the docks in the below picture, the path is to your left). We’ll talk more about how this path impacts are feelings on the resort in a bit.
The lobby is the highlight of the resort, and like any Disney lobby it’s open to all who wish to check it out. We highly recommend paying a visit to it from Magic Kingdom if you can spare the time.
The theming is “Victorian” luxury, and the hotel delivers well on that. Some critics say this theming is getting a bit dated. I don’t really feel that, perhaps because it’s just always felt dated to me.
The resort is filled with these luxurious details, including a good peppering of Disney theming.
We’ll discuss the theme, pricing, and “luxury” of the resort in our conclusions section. For now, let’s stick to the hard details and move onto the rooms.
Rooms at Grand Floridian (New 2023!)
The rooms at Grand Floridian we updated in late 2023 to a new Mary Poppins aesthetic, and we loved them. We’ve actually gone ahead and written a separate post specifically about the new Mary Poppins rooms at Grand Floridian. Here’s a video and some quick pics, but you’ll want to check out that post for the full scoop.
And a gallery of photos…
In the past we’ve stayed in the Main Building theme park view rooms, which are a real delight. We have a post Comparing Theme Park Views of Magic Kingdom at the Monorail Resorts if you’re set on a special view.
Location & Transportation at Grand Floridian Resort
With the new walking path to Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian has improved upon what was already great access to that park. For most guests, the big perk of the Grand Floridian location is that you’re a single monorail stop from Magic Kingdom (when going to the Magic Kingdom). This is nice because it makes for short trips, but it also makes for crowded monorails.
And like all the monorail resorts, the lines can get quite long around rope drop. As with all the monorail resorts, security is done before you get on the monorail, saving you somewhat from the security lines at Magic Kingdom (you will need to go through security again at Epcot).
Coming back from Magic Kingdom, you’re the fourth monorail stop, following Contemporary, Transportation and Ticket Center, and Polynesian.
For this reason, if you’re not a walker, it makes more sense to utilize the boat transportation coming from Magic Kingdom back to Grand Floridian. It’s a three-minute boat ride with boats departing roughly every ten minutes. The “Gold Flag” boat goes from Magic Kingdom, to Grand Floridian, to Polynesian, to Magic Kingdom.
But we’re walkers, and we love the walking path from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom. With a guaranteed travel time of less than 20 minutes (depending on your pace) and security lines that were pretty short every time we used it, there’s just no reason to mess with the monorail or boats when you have a schedule to keep.
Both the monorail and the boats are faster, and the monorail typically runs frequently enough that you’d never be more than 20 minutes for the park by monorail, but we just love the certainty that a walking path gives us. If you’re heading to rope drop at Magic Kingdom or you have a Genie+/Lightning Lane reservation at Magic Kingdom to get to, the walking path ensures that transit mishaps won’t get in your way.
And in any case, if you’re heading back to Grand Floridian from Magic Kingdom, particularly at park close, the walking path is going to save you all the hassle of waiting in long lines for transportation.
To visit Epcot, you’ll need to take the monorail to Transportation and Ticket Center and then transfer to the Epcot monorail. This is definitely the most annoying journey you can make from Grand Floridian and can easily take 45 minutes. If you’re in a pinch, we recommend taking an Uber, which will take about 10 minutes and cost about $15.
To Hollywood Studios (15 min), Animal Kingdom (15-20 min), Disney Springs, (20 min) Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach you’ll rely on bus. Grand Floridian sometimes shares buses with Polynesian, particularly during the middle of the day. I find this to be pretty insulting for the price, but objectively it’s only a minor inconvenience in most cases.
We always recommend you also consider using Uber at Walt Disney World. Disney’s official rideshare, Minnie Van, is also a fine (but expensive) option.
Keep in mind that if you’re flexible, you can always hop on a bus for Polynesian and walk home from there. This won’t always save you time, but particularly in the middle of the day (when bus transport is at its worst), it’s a good option if you happen to see a Polynesian bus.
Guests who bring a car to Disney World will have free hotel parking and theme park parking. This should expedite your trips to all the parks except Magic Kingdom.
Food and Dining at Grand Floridian Resort
Note: This section contains references to the Disney Dining Plans, which are returning in early 2024. Some details may be out of date, but we hope to update them shortly after the plans return and final details are confirmed.
Grand Floridian has one of the largest sets of restaurants of any Disney hotel, and it arguably has the most impressive restaurant lineup, too. Keep in mind that you’re also just a monorail ride away from dining at Magic Kingdom, Contemporary, and Polynesian.
Quick Service Food at Grand Floridian
Gasparilla Grill is a decent quick service option with good hours, usually 6AM to 11PM.
Besides Gasparilla, there are two pool bars at Grand Floridian. Both the Courtyard Pool Bar and Beaches Pool Bar & Grill serve limited food options during the day. You’ll find more selection as Gasparilla, but the poolside service and location of these can make them appealing options
Table Service Restaurants at Grand Floridian Resort
There’s a lot to unpack here. If we’re talking Disney Dining Plan, there are four table service restaurants at Grand Floridian—Grand Floridian Cafe (casual), 1900 Park Fare (character dining), Narcoossee’s (signature, 2X credits), and Citricos (signature, 2X credits).
Additionally, there is the legendary Victoria & Albert’s, so super-fancy it isn’t even a signature table service restaurant—you just cannot use the dining plan here. Finally, there is the Garden View Tea Room, which does not participate in the Disney dining plan either.
While we have some meals at some of these years ago, for all intents and purposes we might as well assume we’ve never eaten at any of them. We’ll briefly describe the restaurants. For reviews we recommend you check out Disney Tourist Blog and Disney Food Blog.
Grand Floridian Cafe is the casual table service restaurant at Grand Floridian. If you’re looking for a non-pretentious, comfortable breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this is going to be your pick. It’s located in the back of the main building, on the first floor, next to 1900 Park Fare and just past Sandy Cove.
1900 Park Fare offers two character buffet meals under the banner “Wish Makers Enchanted Dining“. The Disney website advertises possible characters as Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Princess Tiana.
1900 Park Fare is located in the back of the main building, on the first floor, next to Grand Floridian Cafe and just past Sandy Cove.
Narcoossee’s is a signature dining restaurant specializing primarily in seafood and requiring two table service credits under the Disney dining plan. It sits in its own separate building on the edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon, making it a popular choice for trying to get a firework view.
Citricos is a signature dining restaurant specializing in Mediterranean cuisine and requiring two table service credits under the Disney dining plan. It’s located on the second floor of the main building, in the back next to Victoria and Albert’s (and just above Grand Floridian Cafe).
Victoria & Albert’s is widely regarded as the best restaurant at Walt Disney World and one of the best in Florida. As Disney puts it, the restaurant “has won AAA’s illustrious Five Diamond Award, the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award, glowing Zagat reviews and a host of other accolades.”
The prix fixe menu starts at around $200. It’s located on the second floor of the main building, in the back next to Citricos (and just above 1900 Park Fare). Victoria & Albert’s has an age limit (must be at least 10 years old), making it a popular spot for adults visiting Disney World.
Garden View Tea Room sometimes (not recently, as of late 2023) serves a variety of “afternoon tea” sittings. It is located on the first floor of the main building, adjacent to the lobby.
Bars at Grand Floridian Resort
Besides the two pool bars, there is one true lounge at Grand Floridian plus two restaurant bars. Enchanted Rose Lounge is the main bar at the resort, themed to Beauty and the Beast. It’s a pretty new bar, and while it’s got some style to it it doesn’t lean too heavy into the theming.
There are bars at both Citricos and Narcoossee’s. Given how busy those restaurants get, we don’t really see why you’d choose those bars to spend your time at. If Enchanted Rose isn’t your thing, we recommend considering a visit to the other bars of the monorail resorts.
Recreation, Fitness, Salon, and Spa Services at Grand Floridian Resort
Like every Disney hotel, Grand Floridian maintains a full activity schedule for guests who want to spend the day away from the park. Besides the standard pool activities, you’ll find sunrise yoga, lawn games, movies under the stars, and nightly campfires. There are also plenty of paid boating experiences on the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Inside the main building is a salon, Ivy Trellis Salon, which focuses on hair, nails, and make-up. At the far south end of the resort—the end closest to Polynesian—is a building with the Senses spa and the 24-hour fitness center, which I mentioned earlier. Senses offers facials, massages, and other services.
Shopping at Grand Floridian Resort
Grand Floridian has the most extensive shopping lineup of the Walt Disney World resorts. M. Mouse Mercantile is the spot to go if you’re looking for ears, toys, keychains, simple jewelry, Disney clothing, and some household items. It’s located on the second floor of the main building, just next to the monorail.
Sandy Cove Gifts and Sundries is where you’ll find snack food as well as some awesome Grand Floridian gear. It’s located just off the lobby on the first floor of the main building.
Basin White is a soap store on the second floor of the main building.
Summer Lace is a ladies store offering mostly high-end casual wear, as well as accessories and jewelry. It is located adjacent to the lobby on the first floor of the main building.
Commander Porter’s is the men’s counterpart to Summer Lace, offering high-end casual wear and accessories for men. It is located on the second floor of the main building.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort — Conclusions
Overall Rating — 4/5
Usually our conclusions are pretty short, but Grand Floridian needs a more lengthy discussion. There are, historically, two common lines of thought about Grand Floridian. The first is “Grand Floridian is the pinnacle of Disney luxury, it’s the best hotel on property, and if you can splurge for it once in a lifetime, you should.”
The alternative is “Grand Floridian is gimmicky and nowhere near the luxury quality of, say, the Four Seasons Orlando, Waldorf, or any Ritz-Carlton hotel.”
The truth is…in between? Both? If you sit in the lobby during sunset while the band plays, there’s truly something remarkable about the resort. It does entrance you and pull you into its Victorian charm.
Grand Floridian is a bucket list item for many Disney travelers. The high price keeps you from just visiting on your annual trip. It has a sense of exclusivity that way, and obviously that plays into it appeal.
And there probably aren’t many better hotels for, say, a romantic adults trip to Disney World. Within specific niches, the hotel doesn’t have much competition.
The flip-side of this is that Grand Floridian is held back by its price (shocking suggestion, I know). It’s not simply “it’s too pricey for its quality.” I think the problem should at least be put in more specific terms.
I think the problem is that it’s priced like a luxury hotel when really it’s “just” a good hotel with a Victorian luxury theme. The thing is, Grand Floridian is the epitome of “Disney luxury.” That is, it isn’t luxury, but it’s good, gimmicky imitation luxury.
What isn’t “truly” luxurious about it? Well the price tag invites you to find flaws, and it isn’t hard. There are the 45-minute trips to Epcot because Disney refuses to give you a ten-minute bus ride. There are the shared buses with Polynesian. There’s the fact that you’re competing with every other Disney World vacationer for reservations at the restaurants.
The pools are fine, but they’re not anywhere near the best on property. I’d guess many kids would even prefer Art of Animation for a good pool. These are all picky imperfections, to be sure. But this is the standard that Disney has priced Grand Floridian to be held to.
The big upgrade in the last year is that the rooms are finally top-of-the-line. One could make the case that these are the best rooms at Walt Disney World. Of course that’s expected, but it hasn’t been the case for years. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the new rooms.
With the new rooms, we can at least talk seriously about Grand Floridian. But the serious discussion still should focus on the fact that this resort doesn’t go the extra mile to justify its price. The goal at this price should be “perfect” experience, not just “best Disney experience” (which, arguably, the resort has).
Ultimately, price and exclusivity are key to creating the impression of luxury. It definitely “fools” some people. I used quotes because some of us are willing to be fooled—indeed, we all come to Disney World in part to be fooled. Falling in love with Grand Floridian when you know it isn’t genuine luxury is no worse than falling in love with Epcot’s Italy pavilion even when you know it isn’t genuine Italy.
So maybe the price is just a part of the theme, I don’t know. But I’m tempted to say that if you compared this hotel on equal pricing against Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian, and Wilderness Lodge, it actually could hold its ground. But priced at $100 to $300 more than other Disney deluxe resorts, you just have to ask yourself—how much are you willing to be fooled?
For more on the other Disney hotels, check out our Disney World hotels guide and rankings!
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